Conveyer-enclosure structure for dump trucks

ABSTRACT

The present invention comprises a conveyer-enclosure structure, either made integral with or attachable to the bed structure of a truck, for completing the enclosure of the bed structure when the latter is in horizontal position and, alternatively, when the bed structure is preferably tilted to dump position, for conveying in an even manner the contents of the bed structure, for selected purposes. In essence, the invention includes a rear, slanted, conveyor bed or floor, with which is operatively associated an endless, revolving conveyor. A finger-including spindle is disposed above the conveyor so as to break up clod accumulations of material as the same is discharged over the conveyor floor of the conveyor-enclosure structure.

- on V United States Patent 72] Inventors Herald Moon 1189 N. Main,Farmington, Utah 84025; Stephen H. Moon, 213 East 1700 South,

Bountiful, Utah 84010 [2]] App]. No. 782,022 [22] Filed Dec. 9, 1968[4S] Patented Apr. 20, 1971 [54] CONVEYER-ENCLOSURE STRUCTURE FOR DUMPTRUCKS 2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs. [52] U.S. Cl 214/508, 214/8314 [51]Int. Cl 1360p 1/04 [50] Field otSearch 214/508, 509, 83.26, 83.30,83.14; 239/657; 222/166 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS2,947,543 8/1960 Raybould 239/657 3,010,726 11/1961 Smoker et a12l4/509X 3,018,908 1/1962 Wilton et al. 214/508 3,300,068 l/1967Tarrant, Sr... 214/508 2,636,628 4/1953 Prang 214/509 3,128,894 4/1964Nelson 214/509 Primary Examiner-Albert J. Makay Attorney-M. RalphShaffer ABSTRACT: The present invention comprises a conveyerenclosurestructure, either made integral with or attachable tothe bed structureof a truck, for completing the enclosure of the bed structure when thelatter is in horizontal position and, alternatively, when the bedstructure is preferably tilted to dump position, for conveying in aneven manner the contents of the bed structure, for selected purposes. Inessence, the invention includes a rear, slanted, conveyor bed or floor,with which is operatively associated an endless, revolving conveyor. Afinger-including spindle is disposed above the conveyor so as to breakup clod accumulations of material as the same is discharged over theconveyor floor of the conveyor-enclosure structure.

Pmmmmmsn 3575308 SHEET 1 OF 2 INVENTOR. HEQMD MOON STEPHEN H. MOON THEIRATTORNEY PATENTED APRZOISYI 3 575308 sum 2 or 2 AELI INVENTOR. F, 5HERALD MOON STEPHEN H.MOON

THEIR ATTORNEY (IONViElIlEIit-IENCLOSUIRE STRUCTURE FOR DUMP TRUCKS Thepresent invention relates to truck equipment and, more particularly, toa new and improved conveyor-enclosure structure which is mounted to ormade integral with the bed enclosure structure of a conventional truck.The purpose for the inclusion of such a conveyor-enclosure structure is,firstly, to complete the bed enclosure of the bed structure when thelatter is in a horizontal position and, secondly, to provide a conveyorand conveyor mechanism whereby the contents of the bed enclosure may beconveyed therefrom outwardly and over the end of the conveyor floor ofthe structure in a uniform, highly satisfactory manner. In a preferredembodiment of the invention the sloping conveyor bed of theconveyor-enclosure structure is sufficient to serve as a slantedtailgate, in effect enclosing the bed structure when the latter is inhorizontal position and, alternatively, assumes itself a horizontalposition when the bed structure is hoisted to dump position.

In the past, truck beds having the usual tailgate have been used tocollect material such as silage, and to transport the silage to aconvenient location such as a hopper feeding into a blower-stackcombination, for transporting the silage to an upstanding silo.l-ieretofore, it has been a very laborious task and required a number ofworkmen in order to remove gradually the contents from the bed structureof the truck so that the contents, as removed, are evenly distributedinto the subject hopper. The latter usually incorporates a conveyor beltby which the silage material is fed gradually and uniformly to a blower.

The present invention eliminates this hand work by incorporating aslanted, rear petition or conveyor bed as an integral part of aconveyor-enclosure structure which encloses generally the rear portionof the truck bed. When the bed is in horizontal position, then thesloping or slanted conveyor bed of the conveyor-enclosure structure isdisposed upwardly, though is slanted somewhat rearwardly, and retainsthe material inside of the truck bed. When the bed is elevated to theclump position, then the sloping conveyor bed of the structure isdisposed substantially horizontally, or nearly so, preferably, so thatits own conveyor may operate to satisfactorily eject, gradually and in auniform manner, the material overfthe conveyor and into the previouslymentioned hopper, for example. In addition, there is provided acounterrevolving spindle having a plurality of fingers for breaking upmaterial accumulations or clods as they appear for routing out of thetruck bed.

Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide aconveyor structure for truck beds wherein material such as silagetherein may be easily and uniformly removed from the truck bed when thelatter is preferably tilted upwardly, in dump position.

A further object is to provide for a truck bed a conveyorenclosurestructure, either made integral with or attachable to the general truckbed, whereby contents of the truck bed may be uniformly removedtherefrom, and this in an automatic manner so as to eliminate the usualhand labor required.

An additional object is to provide for a truck bed a mechanism of anendless conveyor type wherein the conveyor is disposed solely at therearward portion of the truck, thereby reducing loading thereon whilepermitting contents to be removed satisfactorily and easily when thetruck bed is tilted.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel areset forth with particularity in the appended claims. The presentinvention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, togetherwith further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood byreference to the following description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a truck having a tilted bed proximatesilo storage-receiving structure, the bed incorporatingconveyor-enclosure structure according to the principles of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, perspective of the conveyor-enclosure structureof the present invention when the truck bed assumes a horizontalposition.

FIG. 2A is an enlarged, fragmentary view taken along the line 2A2A inFIG. 2, showing a representative end connection of the conveyor bars totheir endless drive means.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2, andillustrates the structure as being attached to and over the rear end ofa truck bed enclosure structure; while arrows, indicating certainstructural movements, are shown, it will be understood that suchmovements, in a preferred form of the invention, will take place onlywhen the truck bed tilted to dump position and the rear-slanted conveyorpanel or bed, shown at the left side of FIG. 3, assumes a nominally,horizontal position.

FIG. 4 is a top plan of a truck in reduced scale, indicating an optionalmanner of drive of the conveyor-enclosure structure as well as thephysical structural details when the conveyorenclosure structure isselectively attachable to the truck bed.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail taking along the arcuate line 5-5 in FIG.4, indicating the specific structural details of a preferred embodimentof the invention wherein the conveyorenclosure structure is releasablysecured to the truck bed.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section, taken along the line 6-6 in FIG. 5.

In FIG. 1 the truck 10 is shown including a bed structure 11, the latterbeing disposed in its selected, elevated position in the usual manner.The sloping position of bed structure 11 is produced and retained byconventional hydraulic or pneumatic lift cylinder 12.

In lieu of the conventional tailgate there is disposed, over the rear ofthe bed, a conveyor-enclosure structure 13 which incorporates thepresent invention. It is to be noted that the contents of the bedstructure 11, when passed outwardly of conveyor structure 13, will fallinto hopper 14. The latter is of conventional design and includes theconventional conveyor 15 leading to blower l6. Blower 16 is used to blowgrain, silage, and so forth, up stack 17 to storage facilities such as asilo.

The conveyor-enclosure structure 18 includes a pair of side plates 19and 20, a bottom plate 21 integral therewith, and also a slopingconveyor bed 22 which serves as a fixed structure secured to the sides19 and 20. .Iournaled between the sideplates plates 19 and 20 are shafts23 and 24. Keyed to shaft 23 are sprockets 26, 27, 28, and 29.Correspondingly, there are keyed to shaft 24 sprockets 30, 31, 32, 33,and 34. These sprockets may be generally referred to as wheel means andmay take any form such as sprockets, spur gears, pulleys and so forth.An ideal form of the invention will be that the wheel means actuallycomprise sprockets, as shown. In such event the endless, elongateconnectors 35-38 will be endless chains resembling bicycle chains, forexample.

Disposedbetween respective pairs of chains as illustrated are conveyorbars 39. These may be provided with integral or welded, protruding endpins 40, for example (see FIG. 2A), disposed through aligned linkapertures 41 of links 42 of each of the chains. These pins may besecured in position by cotter keys $3 or any other suitable means. Ofcourse, variousmethods of attachment are possible for securing theconveyor bars to and between the elongate endless connectors, e.g.sprocket chains 35-38.

It is, of course, possible to use but two endless chains so far as theconveying means is concerned, and to have the bars interconnecting thechains traverse substantially completely across the sloping conveyor bed22. However, in such event, the conveyor bars 39 would have to be madesubstantially stronger and of heavier material than that indicated. Forpractical construction purposes, it is believed advisable to segment theconveyor bars as illustrated, such that a pair of parallel runs of theconveyor bars 39 are provided for. This portion of the conveyingstructure illustrates that such as a DC motor 40 may be affixed tosideplate 19 and the output shaft M thereof supplied a pulley 42. Adrive chain 43 couples pulley 42 with pulley 44, and the latter is keyedto shaft 45 to rotate the same. Sprocket 46 is likewise keyed to shaft45 and drives sprocket 47 by means of sprocket chain 48. Sprocket 47 iskeyed to shaft which is journaled to side 19; sprocket 47 is also keyedto sprocket 49 which, by sprocket chain 50, drives sprocket in FIG. 2.

Of importance is the design of the spindle structure S associated withshaft 45. It is seen that this shaft, in addition to its end journalbosses 46 (one being shown) affixed to sideplate 19, is provided with aserial of disc plates 53-56 having respective edge portions A to whichare welded or otherwise secured angle-iron crossbars 57. Each of thecrossbars 57 includes a plurality of outwardly extending, welded fingers58. These fingers serve to break up silage or other material which maybe conveyed rearwardly from the bed structure of the truck over thesloping conveyor bed 22. It is to be noted that the direction of travelof the conveyor means as supplied by conveyor bars 39 is such thatmaterial is driven outwardly and rearwardly over the sloping conveyorbed 22. This is accompanied by the simultaneous, counterclockwiserevolvement of shaft 45, this so that the fingers 58 may cut into thematerial advancing upwardly along bed 22 such that accumulations ofmaterial into clods or chunks are broken up before the same isdeposited, for example, into hopper 14in FIG. 1.

Rather than include a direct -drive motor 40 as shown in FIG. 2, theremay be provided a direct coupling from the transmission of the vehicleat 60 in FIG. 4. In such event, there would have to be an adapter 61, ofconventional design, coupled to transmission 60, such that when thevehicle is in neutral position. adapter 61 can be actuated to drive thesprocket 44 and, hence, produce the rotation of the three shafts 23, 24,and 45 previously referred to. Such adapter 61 is utilized in commonpractice to connect the transmission of a vehicle, such as a truck, toperform any one of a number of rotary drive type functions.

To the top of opposite sides 19 and 20 are attached respective, angular,bracket-shaped gussets 63, as by bolt attachments 67. To the bottom ofopposite sides 19 and 20 are secured, as by welding, the positioningpins 61. These latter cooperate with and are selectively insertedthrough truck bed apertures BA normally provided at the opposite, truckbed, exterior longitudinal margins. Once this is accomplished, then theconveyor-enclosure structure gussets 63 are bolted, as by boltattachments 63, and/or pinned, as by pin means 65, to the sides 11 ofthe truck bed enclosure, with suitable connection apertures A1--A4 beingprovided for the structural attachments.

The structure as thus far described operates as follows. During normalusage when the vehicle is transporting silage, grain or other materialson the farm, the truck bed will be horizontal and the conveyor-enclosurestructure disposed in manner illustrated in FIG. 3. Of course, it willbe apparent that the conveyor-enclosure structure 18 can be removed fromthe end of the vehicle and the conventional tailgate installed.

When the conveyor-enclosure structure of the present invention isprovided the truck, then the truck is loaded with silage or otherdesired materials. After the silage or other materials have beentransported to the location desired, see FIG. 1 for example, then thebed structure is preferably raised in the conventional manner such thatthe sloping conveyor bed 22 becomes nominally horizontal. At this pointsuitable power is applied to shaft 45, for example, so that theconveying portion of the structure and the structure associated withshaft 45 directly come into play. Thus, the two conveyor beds comprisedof spaced, transverse bars 39 commence operation such that material istransported outwardly in the direction indicated in FIG. 3.Simultaneously there is a counterclockwise rotation of the spindle S(comprised of the fingers 58, transverse bars 57, and discs 53- 56) sothat there is a simultaneous breaking up of material as the material isbeing conducted upwardly and over the end of the conveyor-enclosurestructure.

It IS noticed that this mechanism operates to break up material asdescends at X in FIG. 1 so that such material is, or may be distributed,in an even, uniform manner into the hopper 15 without clods or otheraccumulations appearing therein. Thus, the conveyor 15 within hopper 14operates easily to convey the uniform material into the blower 16. Werethe fingers 58 not included in the structure, then clodlikeaccumulations of silage as might be present would render it difficult,so far as the operation of the blower 16 is concerned, for the materialto be blown up stack 17 When the dumping operation is completed as abovedescribed, and the truck bed is returned to its horizontal position,then the truck is driven away.

It is to be noted that the sloping conveyor bed 29 serves not only as aconveyor bed when the truck bed structure is tilted, but also as atailgate enclosure when the truck bed is horizontal.

It will be understood that other types of conveyors, such as cleated orother means, may be used as the conveyor structure to transport thematerial in the manner indicated by arrow C in FIG. 3. However, theconveying structure shown, that is the multiple, endless, elongateconnectors with their crossbars are deemed most appropriate for thefunction intended.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatchanges and modifications may be made without departing from thisinvention in its broader aspects, and within the true spirit and scopeof the invention.

We claim:

1. In combination, a dump truck having a tiltable bed structureconstructed to receive and contain selected material, and aconveyor-enclosure structure secured to and enclosing that side of saidtiltable bed structure which is lowermost when the latter is tilted todump position, said conveyor-enclosure structure including: a conveyorbed which is inclined rearwardly when said tiltable bed structure is ina horizontal disposition, and elongate, endless conveyor meanslongitudinally circumscribing proximately said conveyor bed andconstructed and arranged to discharge said material from said tiltablebed structure, and wherein said conveyorenclosure includes a revolvingspindle having a plurality of outwardly extending, mutually spacedfingers disposed over and proximate said conveyor means, and means fordriving said spindle to rotate the same in a manner such that saidfingers pass counterdirectionally through said material as the latter isadvanced by said conveyor means toward and through said fingers.

2. In combination, a dump truck having a tiltable bed structureconstructed to receive and contain selected material, and aconveyor-enclosure structure secured to and enclosing that side of saidtiltable bed structure which is lowermost when the latter is tilted todump position, said conveyor-enclosure structure including: a conveyorbed which is inclined rearwardly when said tiltable bed structure is ina horizontal disposition, and elongate, endless conveyor meanslongitudinally circumscribing proximately said conveyor bed andconstructed and arranged to discharge said material from said tiltablebed structure, and wherein said conveyorenclosure structure includesrevolvable spindle structure having outwardly extending, mutually spacedfingers and disposed parallel to and above said endless conveyorproximate the outermost end thereof, and means for counterrevolving saidspindle structure in a reverse direction manner relative to the travelof said conveyor means.

1. In combination, a dump truck having a tiltable bed structureconstructed to receive and contain selected material, and aconveyor-enclosure structure secured to and enclosing that side of saidtiltable bed structure which is lowermost when the latter is tilted todump position, said conveyor-enclosure structure including: a conveyorbed which is inclined rearwardly when said tiltable bed structure is ina horizontal disposition, and elongate, endless conveyor meanslongitudinally circumscribing proximately said convEyor bed andconstructed and arranged to discharge said material from said tiltablebed structure, and wherein said conveyor-enclosure includes a revolvingspindle having a plurality of outwardly extending, mutually spacedfingers disposed over and proximate said conveyor means, and means fordriving said spindle to rotate the same in a manner such that saidfingers pass counterdirectionally through said material as the latter isadvanced by said conveyor means toward and through said fingers.
 2. Incombination, a dump truck having a tiltable bed structure constructed toreceive and contain selected material, and a conveyor-enclosurestructure secured to and enclosing that side of said tiltable bedstructure which is lowermost when the latter is tilted to dump position,said conveyor-enclosure structure including: a conveyor bed which isinclined rearwardly when said tiltable bed structure is in a horizontaldisposition, and elongate, endless conveyor means longitudinallycircumscribing proximately said conveyor bed and constructed andarranged to discharge said material from said tiltable bed structure,and wherein said conveyor-enclosure structure includes revolvablespindle structure having outwardly extending, mutually spaced fingersand disposed parallel to and above said endless conveyor proximate theoutermost end thereof, and means for counterrevolving said spindlestructure in a reverse direction manner relative to the travel of saidconveyor means.